Page 143 - 2019 October Important Chinese Art Sotheby's Hong Kong

This rare gilt-bronze figure of Shakyamuni Buddha 本尊釋迦牟尼佛乃中國佛像經典形像之一，佛作坐
represents one of the classic images of early Chinese 姿，結禪定印，佛袍蓋膝，面容安謐寧定，展現犍陀
Buddhist sculpture, where the ‘Awakened One’ is depicted 羅藝術風格，唯底座造型明顯為中式。此類早期造像
seated on a throne, the hands held in the dhyanamudra, the 以風格化為特質，佛像型態肅，佛袍刻劃簡樸近乎抽
gesture of meditation, wearing a monastic robe that falls
gently over the lap and with a facial expression of complete 象，更顯佛相威嚴。比較一印度綠片岩作例，比例相
calmness and confidence. The strong influence of the art 近，尺寸遠較本像為大，犍陀羅傳統風格，斷代三至
of Gandhara is evident, although the iconography of the 四世紀，相信來自巴里果德，現存於松岡美術館，圖
throne is Chinese. The formal position and simple, almost 載於《館蔵古代東洋彫刻》，東京，1994年，編號8
abstract rendering of the folds make these early highly 。
stylised sculptures particularly powerful. Compare an Indian
green schist figure of similar proportions, but much larger in 故此，本像屬於少數早期中國銅製佛像臻絕之例，
size, carved in the Gandharan tradition and attributed to the 融合犍陀羅及笈多風格印度宗教形像。比較布倫戴
3rd-4th century, and believed to have come from Barikot, 奇典藏著名作例，尺寸屬同類當中最大之一，圖載
now in the collection of the Matsuoka Museum of Art,
illustrated in Ancient Asian Sculptures from the Matsuoka 於《The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Selected
Collection, Tokyo, 1994, cat. no. 8. Works》，三藩市，1994年，頁91。該像高39.5公分，
銘文有殘缺，但仍可斷代338年，即後趙石虎帝建武
The present figure is therefore among the finest examples 年間。後趙，屬羯族，329-350年間統治中國北方大
of a small series of early Chinese Buddhist bronzes that
incorporate the new iconography borrowed from votive 半疆土。中國南方政治相對穩定，故此當地佛教發展
images in India executed in the Gandharan and Guptan style. 對政治論述有利為主，但北方時局動盪，人民寄情宗
Among the largest and most impressive of these figures is 教，信眾偏向忠於佛教原義及形像，遵從印度經文，
the famous Buddha from the Avery Brundage collection, 因此製於北方之佛像亦迅速吸收印度雕像風格，如本
illustrated in The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. 像佛袍刻劃即取靈感自笈多佛像，而眼形正方、頭髮
Selected Works, San Francisco, 1994, p. 91. This large 捲曲，則帶中亞面容特色。
figure, which measures 39.5 cm high, bears a fragmentary
inscription dated 338. This was during the Jianwu reign of 本像風格，更接近 Grenville Winthrop 購自山中商會
Emperor Shi Hu of the later Zhao dynasty, which only briefly
controlled a large portion of north China from 329-350, and 著名作例，該例現藏劍橋哈佛大學賽克勒博物館，編
which was of a non-Chinese tribe, the Jie from the northern 號1943.53.80。兩像均深受犍陀羅造像風格影響，面
Steppes. Unlike the more languid and staple political 容、鬍髭、頭髮及佛袍處理手法相近，兩尊坐像採用
structure of south China, which bred a version of Buddhism 圖像幾乎完全相同，唯一分別乃哈佛作例底座刻劃靈
more favoured towards political discourse, the numerous 獅及供奉之善信，本像則飾葉紋。哈佛作例圖載於學
political upheavals and rapidly changing social structure in 者兼鑑藏家 Leopold Swergold，《Thoughts on Chinese
northern China nurtured fervent religiosity and an adherence Buddhist Gilt Bronzes》，出版地不詳，2014年，頁16
to source Indian texts, a desire to return to fundamental ，圖載於頁17，作者論述，哈佛大學美術館專家認為
principles both in doctrine and in iconography; hence the
rapid absorption of Indian sculptural models, as expressed 其年代較布倫戴奇舊藏佛像為早。
on the present sculpture in the geometricised drapery
inspired by Guptan figures, and in the squared features with 比較其他售於拍賣會之四至五世紀鎏金銅釋迦牟尼佛
large eyes and wavy hair, which hint at Central Asian facial 像，其一出自新田棟一收藏，售於紐約蘇富比2006年
proportions. 9月21日，編號111；其二出自坂本五郎典藏，售於香
The current sculpture, however, is much more closely 港蘇富比2016年10月5日，編號3201。
related to the famous image originally acquired from
Yamanaka by Grenville Winthrop, and now in the Arthur M.
Sackler Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, object no.
1943.53.80. Both figures are deeply influenced by Gandharan
sculpture, with similar treatment of the facial features,
moustache, hair and robes. The iconography of both seated
figures is almost identical, only differing in that the base
of the Harvard example is flanked by lions and donors,
whereas the current example is decorated with leaves. The
Harvard example is illustrated and discussed by the scholar
collector Leopold Swergold in Thoughts on Chinese Buddhist
Gilt Bronzes (n.p., 2014), p. 16, ill. p. 17, where he notes
that experts from Harvard University Museum believe it to
predate the Brundage Buddha.
For other 4th/early 5th century gilt-bronze figures of
Shakyamuni sold at auction, see one from the collection of
Muneichi Nitta, sold in our New York rooms, 21st September,
2006, lot 111; and another from the Sakamoto Goro
collection, sold in these rooms, 5th October 2016, lot 3201.

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